Piyapong Hema, former Pheu Thai MP candidate, pointed out that Thai people are saddened to miss watching the World Cup as the government claims the broadcast rights are too expensive and not worthwhile, questioning why MotoGP received a 4 billion baht budget support.
On 20 May 2026, Mr. Piyapong Hema, former Pheu Thai MP candidate for Samut Prakan Province, revealed that although the government had previously clearly announced that Thai people would definitely watch the World Cup, recent developments indicate otherwise. Ms. Supamas Isarapakdee, Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office and overseer of the Public Relations Department, admitted that the government is preparing to abandon negotiations to purchase the broadcast rights for the 2026 World Cup, scheduled from 11 June to 19 July 2026, due to the offered price being too high for the government to accept.
Mr. Piyapong added that it is surprising the government considers the World Cup broadcast rights, for a sport awaited by the entire world, too expensive. This contrasts with the prior government approval of nearly 4 billion baht in budget support for the MotoGP events from 2027 to 2031 (5 years) at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram Province. Every March, Thailand officially hosts the first race in the MotoGP calendar for all five years. Despite being a niche sport with a relatively small following, the government did not hesitate to allocate a huge budget to satisfy the interests of a select group.
"Immediately after the government’s announcement, many people questioned why obtaining World Cup broadcast rights is so difficult for Thai viewers when millions are interested and the event can generate ongoing economic activities for the public. The government should not be narrow-minded regarding this global sporting event, held every four years. Moreover, citizens do not understand why Thailand’s broadcast rights cost twice as much as neighboring countries. Therefore, the government should provide a clear explanation rather than shatter the dreams of Thai people who miss the event or, worse, encourage them to watch via illegal websites instead of legitimate TV broadcasts."